
68
WEDNESDAY
February 18
The Authority of the Spoken Word
In ancient times, when writing material was scarce and most peo-
ple could not read, the spoken word was very important. What
effect did the spoken Word of God have on people in the following
passages? Jer. 38:1–4, John 3:1–10, 6:51–66, Acts 16:25–34.
The Word of God, whether spoken or written, has a double function.
It is like a two-edged sword, says Paul, “piercing even to the division
of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12, NKJV). In the context
of what Paul is saying, the word refers to the messages that were
preached both to ancient Israel and to Christians (Heb. 4:2).
Like a surgeon’s scalpel, the spoken Word of God can penetrate to
heal and restore, or it can furnish the evidence of a deadly disease that
will result in eternal condemnation. Unless the word preached meets
with faith on the part of the hearers, it cannot benefit them.
While not everyone in the church was willing to accept Ellen G.
White’s prophetic authority, the church by and large listened to her
counsel and benefited by it. The following story reveals the good
things the church experienced by following Ellen G. White’s advice.
For example, church organization between 1863 (when the General
Conference was organized) and 1901 remained basically unchanged.
As work in different lines developed, various associations (Medical
Missionary, Sabbath School, Religious Liberty, Tract Society, etc.)
were formed to foster these ministries. Because these associations
were all autonomous organizations represented by independent cor-
porations but not integral parts of the General Conference organiza-
tion, they were sometimes in competition with one another. On the
other hand, all major decisions in regard to the worldwide work were
made by a few people at the General Conference in Battle Creek.
The day before the General Conference session in 1901, Ellen
G. White met with the church leaders and urged them to make drastic
changes in the running of the church. Accordingly, when the confer-
ence opened, the usual order of business was set aside, and a large
committee (about 75 people) was appointed to work on the reorgani-
zation of the church structure. The result was that the General
Conference committee was enlarged considerably, the various associa-
tions became departments of the General Conference, and union con-
ferences were organized to enable leaders in the field to make deci-
sions on the spot without having to wait for answers from Battle Creek.
The reorganization of the church structure, directed by divine coun-
sel, was accepted unanimously and has stood the test of time. With
some modifications and enlargements, it is still the structure of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church today.